Abstract
Failure analysis laser inspection tool (FA/LIT) is a tool for the analysis of packaged devices. FA/LIT can routinely expose bond wires for inspection; however, concerns develop for the exposure of stitch bonds, the examination of small trace cracks, and any requirements to maintain electrical functionality of devices. Matching the FA/LIT settings based upon operation and sample material is critical in achieving good exposure of areas of interest with minimal damage. The use of practice samples, or areas away from the area of interest, to verify results before operations on actual FA parts is strongly recommended in this article. The installation of a grounded sample holder has been shown to greatly improve electrical integrity of samples during the laser ablation procedure. Use of the grounding sample holder improved electrical test results from 0% pass to 100% pass in advanced CMOS devices.
